Symptoms of Meniscus tear and treatment

Like a lot of knee injuries, a meniscus tear can be painful and debilitating. Unfortunately, it's quite common. In fact, a meniscal tear is one of the most frequently occurring cartilage injuries of the knee. Cartilage is connective tissue that protects your joints and bones.

Meniscus Tear Symptoms
Symptoms of a meniscus tear include:

Pain in the knee
Swelling
A popping sensation during the injury
A hard time bending and straightening the leg
A tendency for your knee to get "stuck" or lock up

Meniscus Tear Treatment
Treatment for meniscal tears depends on the size and location of the tear, as well as your age, activity level, and related injuries.

Happily, not all meniscal tears require surgery. If your knee is not locking up, is stable, and symptoms clear up, nonsurgical treatment may be enough. To speed the recovery, you can use the RICE principles.

Meniscus tear surgery

If a tear is large, unstable, or causing locking symptoms, your doctor will perform what's known as arthroscopic surgery. They'll insert a tiny camera through a small cut in the knee. This allows them to see inside the knee. Then they'll insert some surgical instruments through two or three other tiny cuts to trim or repair the tear.

The procedure is usually pretty simple, and you can often go home the same day. If the damaged meniscus tissue is just trimmed (a meniscectomy), the recovery period is short. If the pieces of tissue are repaired (sewn together), the recovery time is longer, as you have to wait for the meniscus to heal. You may need a brace during recovery.

For more information consult our expert Dr Ritesh Khokhar at Fortis hospital Mohali